I Think I'm in Love
by Cooro
Summary: [OishiEiji] "Maybe he's in love too..."


**Author's Notes: **First PoT and (obviously) first OKiku fic. Erhm, I was taking a shower and then a little image of Kikumaru going "I think I'm in love" to Oishi made me squeal. I quickly finished said shower and, after talking to my dear friend Kescha (who actually listens to me ramble on about sap and shounen-ai), I started this fic. Must fun, it was. X3 I _lovelovelove_ OKiku! It's my favourite PoT pairing. ^_^ Oh, and there's no timeline to this fic. Let it happen whenever you like!

**Disclaimer: **Though owning Fuji and Eiji would be so much fun, I don't own them, or Prince of Tennis (Tennis no Oujisama) for that matter. Konomi Takeshi-sensei does though; bless him for making our beloved series. I'm just having fun tossing Kikumaru at Oishi. n_n!

**I T****hink ****I**'m ******i**n ******L**ove****

By: Cooro

"I think I'm in love."

A tiny tilt of his head, and he was staring sideways at Kikumaru. He sipped through his straw thoughtfully as he noticed the small movements his doubles partner made. A soft, pink glow had started to paint itself over the once lightly tanned cheeks, and while Kikumaru had been the one who was, in his words, thirsty to death, the drink he bought rested quietly in both his hands. There was no move that indicated that he would drink it soon, and a finger would sometimes come up to run itself smoothly over the rim of the cup, almost as if he were nervous.

Oishi slowly withdrew the drink from his lips, pondering how to respond. A moment of peaceful silence echoed between the pair, before broken by a single question.

"Why?"

"Eh – W… Well…" Kikumaru retorted. Almost too quickly, Oishi thought to himself. "That… That is… Have you ever been around someone so much, thought they were like your best friend, and… and then… Suddenly…?"

He left the question hanging. The quiet blush on his face had turned from pastel pink, to a light rose-y hue in a few seconds. Oishi turned his body, facing Kikumaru as he placed the drink carefully beside him. He gave a small smile, and nodded.

_Yeah, I understand._

"I don't really know _why_, or understand why it was… it was who it was, but it just happened… And well, I don't really know what to do." He frowned, the corners of his mouth turned slightly, but it was as soon turned downwards before Kikumaru slapped himself lightly, shaking his head as he placed that ever cheerful grin upon his face and laughed. "I must sound real weird or something."

"Not at all, Eiji," was Oishi's reply. He rested his chin upon his hands, gazing up at Kikumaru patiently, waiting to hear his entire story. This caused Kikumaru to cough a bit, turning away so he wouldn't have to see those eyes. Oishi smiled once again. An offer to grab a drink alone together, confessing that he was in love with someone, and small signs of nervousness and embarrassment. Kikumaru was never much of a tactful kind of person.

"Does he know?"  
  
"N – No… He doesn't…" And Kikumaru never did notice how Oishi knew it was a he.

"… What's he like?"  
  
The question caused Kikumaru to blink, finally turning back to look Oishi straight in the face. "I – Well…" The usually hyper boy twiddled his thumbs uneasily, swinging his feet lightly over the bench where they sat alone in the park. The blush on his face seemed to radiate a soft glow now, one that nearly matched the now setting sun. And Oishi thought it cute.

"He's… He's a really, really special guy to me. 'Cause whenever I need help, he's always there! And he's kind and honest and all those good things!" Kikumaru's face brightened up as he talked, sometimes making gestures with his hands to emphasize his point more clearly. "It's always easy to talk to him about anything, and I love just being around him because it's always nice and peaceful where he is. I can trust him fully and know that he's there to rely on. He cheers me up, and I can do the same sometimes when he's worried, and that just makes me feel happy knowing I can do that! He makes me… feel special."

He smiled, almost shyly, studying the floor with faked interest.

"Do you dream about him?"

"I – _No_! Well… _Yes, and… N – Not in that way, of course!" Kikumaru squealed, his blush turning practically the same colour as his hair. Oishi just chuckled._

"What do you dream about, then?"

"Just… things… Ya know, like a date, or a nice walk on the beach by ourselves…" Kikumaru's voice grew distant as he shifted his feet, seeing within his mind visions and glimpses of a faraway hope that he thought would never come true.

"… Him kissing you?"

Kikumaru stuttered at the unexpected question, almost jumping up in surprise while Oishi laughed heartily. "_Oishi_!"

"Well, do you?" he asked again.

"… Yeah…"

"… So you think you're in love?"

Kikumaru paused to think, his feet swaying steadily underneath him.

"… No, I _know_ I'm in love."

"Tell him that."

  
A startled look from Kikumaru's face as he looked up caused Oishi to laugh. "O – Oishi! That's not funny!"  
  
"I'm sorry… You're right. I shouldn't have laughed." Oishi regained himself quickly, nodding an apology to Kikumaru, who waved it away with a hand. 

"But… How, Oishi? I'm…"  
  
"You're what?"  
  
"I'm… Well, I'm… nervous. Hey – What do you think you're doing?! Not my _hair!"_

At that moment, Oishi had grinned and ruffled Kikumaru's hair playfully. Kikumaru, in reply, had tried to swat away the hand, but missed as he fumed and pouted up at his friend. He tried to glare, but failed miserably when he just earned himself another hair ruffling and muttered under his breath, "You're messing up my hair…"

"You silly goose, just tell him all that you've told me."  
  
"I am no goose!"  
  
"Cat then, better?"  
  
"… It'll do."

Kikumaru took a sip from his neglected soft drink, biting the straw as he considered what they've talked about so far. Oishi took a drink from his own bottle, waiting patiently. He watched Kikumaru, who idly raised a hand up to straighten his hair. "I'm afraid… of being rejected."

"Didn't you say that he's like your best friend?"  
  
"Y – Yeah…"

"That you can tell him anything and trust him?"  
  
"Yes… But…"  
  
"What are you afraid of then?"  
  
"Well…" He twirled a curl of red hair around his finger, gazing out over at the little children's playground, where the kids looked so happy. Not burdened with troubles like his. "There are others… who like him too."  
  
"But he's single, isn't he?"  
  
"Yeah…"  
  
"Have people asked him out?"  
  
"They were rejected…"  
  
"Maybe he's waiting for you."

"N – No way!" Kikumaru stared wide-eyed at Oishi, almost dropping his drink, but catching it just in time. The blush that had slowly died away as they talked flared up again rapidly over his cheeks. "He's not! Well, I don't know that… but… _Well_!"

"Well…?"  
  
"Oishiiiii…!" Kikumaru huffed indignantly, beating curled up fists playfully at his partner's head.

"O – Oi! Ok, ok. I'm sorry, Eiji!" He laughed; trying at the same time to fend himself from Kikumaru's flailing fists. When there was a chance, he grabbed Kikumaru's arms around the wrist, pinning them down to the bench, which caused another nervous cough from Eiji as he pulled his hands away and stopped.

"But what if he rejects me?"  
  


"He won't."

"If he does…? What if he decides that he doesn't want to even be my friend then! Oishiiii… I couldn't _bear_ that if that happens! I just couldn't!"

"Why not?"

  
"He's… he makes my life brighter… It's easier to smile and laugh each day with him there… I don't want him to go… He…" Kikumaru's voice died down to a low whisper, making Oishi bend down nearer to him to be able to hear the next words. "He's the _golden _part of my life…"

"He won't go," Oishi whispered back, grinning as he took another sip of his drink.

"How would you know that?"  
  
"How wouldn't I? You're a real sweet guy, Eiji," Oishi said. "I mean that, seriously," he added after taking a quick glance over at Kikumaru's face, mistaking the blush and frowning face for anger instead of what it really was, confusion and embarrassment. "Tell him, Eiji."

"I can't…" Kikumaru stared up at Oishi, meeting his gaze and returning it steadily, a look of almost desperate hope shining in those blue eyes.

"I thought that you were in love," Oishi stated firmly, leaning in a little to brush away a stray lock of auburn hair that hung loosely over Kikumaru's face.  
  
"I _am_ in love…" he responded back, strong and clear.

_I _am _in love… Please, tell me that –_

"Maybe he's in love too…" Oishi whispered.

A hand trailed up towards Kikumaru's face, cupping the pink-dyed cheek and caressing it softly with his thumb. Kikumaru's heart skipped a beat, breath catching almost painfully in his throat. Carefully, Oishi leant down and brought their foreheads together, faces only a few millimetres apart. And they wondered what would happen if…

They didn't know who had made the first move, but suddenly those lips that had haunted both their dreams were pressed together ever so softly. It was the sweetest thing that had ever happened to either of them, seeming to last forever and a lifetime. But both preferred it that way.

Soon afterwards, they broke apart, though this time; Kikumaru had laced his arms around Oishi's neck, and Oishi held the breathless boy close to him. Silence filled the atmosphere, broken only by the whistling wind that made Kikumaru shiver, and made Oishi hug him closer.

"Is he… really in love as well, Oishi?" Kikumaru whispered, murmuring softly against the other pair of lips.  
  
Oishi just smiled, nuzzling the other gently as he whispered back just as quietly, "Yes, Eiji. He is. And he won't leave you. Ever."

**-fin-**

**After Notes: **I _whine about the ending. T_T I've never written a kiss scene (nor have the experience to write one). And um, this fic was really bad, wasn't it? I hope that I made it kind of clear that Oishi knew Kikumaru liked him? I also hope that Kikumaru made it obvious who he was in love with. Besides, yanno, glaring at the pairing this fic is supposed to be of. I do truly hope that I haven't disgraced the characters with my bad writing skills. =p And I was planning to type more in the notes sections, but eh, well. Nah._

~ 170803


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